Conclusion
Just as Peter turns in his papers to
his new science teacher, Mrs. Joanna, a figure appears in the window of the
classroom door just out in the hallway. The puzzling, dark outline of a man
with a tie affixes his gaze upon Peter as he walks back to his desk. Dread
streaks though Peter as the man stares at him closely for a brief moment;
subsequently disappearing to the right of the windowpane. That man seemed awfully familiar! Peter reflected personally.
While his new classmates conclude
their assignments, Peter reflects about the man’s identity, who could that have been? And why was he
staring at me? As the first day of eighth grade for Peter comes to a close
with the chirping of the bell, the students file chaotically out of the
classroom and into the previously empty halls.
Peter quickly swings on his
backpack, grips his binder, and is swallowed and over-taken by the mass of
classmates in the halls as he tries to recover his sense of direction. “Peter!”
A young voice shouted from behind him. “Back here!”
Shoved and nudged by the swirling
crowd of students, Peter struggles immensely to paddle his way up and through
the river of people. “Hey,” Peter smiled to the now recognizable speaker.
“Hello,” Matthew answered, “Did you
see a figure outside your classroom door?” The pair of friends swivels off to
the side of the hall. “There was a tall man in a light blue shirt who also wore
a tie.”
Recalling the image from his memory
of the figure outside of the science lab door, Peter exclaims, “Yes, that’s
exactly what he looked like!” Suddenly, the man slipped through the crowds
unnoticed by the duo. “Who do you think the man was?” Peter questioned.
“Maybe it’s the principle,” Matthew
suggested, “Oh, never mind, the principle isn’t all that tall.” The mysterious
figure continues towards the pair as they chat on.
Peter’s eyes clouds and he begins to
back towards the wall of the hallway. “Umm, Matthew,” Peter stuttered, “I think
the man is Mr. Anderson.” Mr. Anderson approaches Peter and Matthew in a
sinister smile just a few feet away.
“Run.” Matthew whispers.
Unfortunately, the duo’s legs are frozen with horror as Mr. Anderson stops in
front of them, deflecting the flood of students that pushed its way towards the
exit of the school with ease.
“Good afternoon,” Mr. Anderson, the
pair’s former history teacher croaked, “I believe you two want to know
something.” The giant, pale teacher grinned and ushered them into his room
across the hall while the stream of teenagers diminished. The pair were
reluctant and nervous.
Simultaneously, the two friends felt
an unworldly feeling: fear mingled with unprecedented curiosity but along with
an optimistic surge for the up-coming, unexpected turn of events. “What do we
want?” Matthew whispers to Peter so quietly that Peter could barely comprehend,
“More importantly, what does Mr. Anderson want?”
“Please sit,” Mr. Anderson requested
with a commanding tone, “I suppose you remember who I am.” The duo immediately
obeys his orders and both sit in a desk, the same ones as they were assigned
the previous school year.
“Yes, you were our history teacher,”
answered the two in harmony.
“Very well,” Mr. Anderson replied,
“You may not realize what you seek, but I know exactly what you desire.” The
duo glance at one another with puzzlement and interest as Mr. Anderson paused
for a brief moment before continuing his statement. “What you seek is the
truth. The truth to a person who you’ve never met, yet comprehend with utmost
understanding.”
Marcus
Sebastian! Peter reflected optimistically; however, careful not to reveal. So I was correct, Mr. Anderson was the one
who left us the notes, the journal, and the coin. Wait, but that doesn’t answer
if the journal was real or fake! Peter thought with slight disappointment. I hope that it is though.
“The one who you seek is far, yet near. As
strange as it might appear, the one you seek is here,” Mr. Anderson spoke
rhythmically, “You may believe that the one you are seeking is Marcus
Sebastian; However, I am the true person that you have been led to.”
The pair stares at the tall man in
disbelief and confusion, “How is that?” Matthew challenged, “The journal was by
Marcus; plus, how do you even know about the journal?”
“Maybe he was spying on us,” Peter
suggested hesitantly.
“The answer to that is both yes, and
no,” Mr. Anderson replied, now seating in front of the friends, “I did observe
your progress; Nonetheless, I was the true author of the journal; I had left
the notes; and I was the one who placed the coin in the ditch.”
Surprisingly, the pair did not seem
astounded or even unexpected; the duo just stared at their former teacher. “Why
did you take that time to plan and execute such a strange maneuver?” Matthew
questioned, unconvinced.
“I saw a rare asset that the pair of
you contain. A commitment to what you do. All last year, on every assignment,
you two would complete them without question; so I decided that I would invest
my time and effort into the two of you.”
“And how does that benefit you?”
Matthew continued, “And how does this profit us?”
“Don’t you see? I wanted to provide
you with a deep understanding knowledge of our town’s complex history in an
engaging and special way that you will acquire for the rest of your lives!” Mr.
Anderson smile genuinely. “I was the mastermind behind all of this: The old
man, who is my best friend that pretended to be weird and strange to test your
courage; the coin, which was created by another friend of mine who owns a
vintage coin restoration organization; the notes, hand-written by yours truly
for the purpose of guiding the pair of you to your final answer, me.”
“Does this profit you then?” Peter
interrupted, “From what we know, it only benefits us!” Peter shifts in his
chair from discomfort while Matthew places his chin on his palm with his elbow
on the desk.
“I can pass on my love for history
and knowledge to two young apprentices who can also teach the next generation
of children,” Mr. Anderson explained.
The duo pounder about this
explanation for a moment and Peter speaks, “Hmm, I guess that is a reasonable
clarification.”
Over the next few days, Peter and
Matthew digest and wonder about the afternoon with Mr. Anderson. So, the truth to all this is that we should
not judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a man by his appearance and the
assumption that his inner self is a direct reflection of his outer shell, Peter
concluded. However, as he sat still on his living room couch, he reflected
about Matthew’s actions, we also need to
be appreciative of others and trust in the ones around us, while maintaining
our own credibility. Peter sits up, takes a deep breath, and closes his eyes
as he dozes off into a tranquil, content, and serene sleep; dreaming about his
future and the opportunities that are held in the world that we live in.
